Container Assembly

ABSTRACT

A container assembly that may be used as a can or a cup includes a container that may contain a beverage. A lid is removably coupled to the container and a retainer is removably coupled to the lid. The retainer engages the container such that the lid is retained on the container. The retainer is selectively removed from the lid such that the lid is removable from the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates to container devices and more particularlypertains to a new container device that may be used as a can or a cup.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above bygenerally comprising a container that may contain a beverage. A lid isremovably coupled to the container and a retainer is removably coupledto the lid. The retainer engages the container such that the lid isretained on the container. The retainer is selectively removed from thelid such that the lid is removable from the container.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the disclosure in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There areadditional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features ofnovelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than thoseset forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container assembly according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded top perspective view of an embodiment of thedisclosure.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 of anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through5 thereof, a new container device embodying the principles and conceptsof an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by thereference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the container assembly 10generally comprises a container 14 that may contain a beverage 16. Thecontainer 14 has a bottom wall 18 and a peripheral wall 20 extendingupwardly from the bottom wall 18. The peripheral wall 20 has a distaledge 22 with respect to the bottom wall 18 and the peripheral wall 20has an outer surface 24. The peripheral wall 20 is curved such that thecontainer 14 has a cylindrical shape and the distal edge 22 defines anopening 26 into the container 14. The container 14 may comprise a sodacan or the like.

The peripheral wall 20 has a recessed portion 28. The recessed portion28 extends inwardly toward a center 30 of the container 14. The recessedportion 28 extends around an entire circumference of the peripheral wall20. The recessed portion 28 is spaced from the distal edge 22 and therecessed portion 28 has an upper bounding surface 32.

A lid 34 is removably coupled to the container 14 and the lid 34includes a body portion 36 and a coupling portion 38. The body portion36 has an extraneous edge 40 and the extraneous edge 40 is continuoussuch that the body portion 36 has a disk shape. The coupling portion 38comprises a leg 42 and a foot 44 and the leg 42 extends upwardly fromthe body portion 36. The leg 42 is coextensive with the extraneous edge40 and the foot 44 is spaced from the leg 42 to define a space 46between the leg 42 and the foot 44. The distal edge 22 of the container14 is positioned within the space 46 having the foot 44 abutting theouter surface 24 of the container 14 and the foot 44 has a mating edge48.

The body portion 36 includes a flap 50 that is movably coupled to thebody portion 36. A tab 52 is movably coupled body portion 36. The tab 52may be manipulated such that the tab 52 urges the flap 50 into an openposition thereby facilitating the beverage 16 to be consumed from thecontainer 14. The flap 50 and the tab 52 may comprise a pop tab or thelike utilized in the convention of soda cans.

A retainer 54 is removably coupled to the lid 34. The retainer 54engages the container such that the lid 34 is retained on the container14. The retainer 54 is selectively removed from the lid 34 such that thelid 34 is removable from the container 14. The retainer 54 has a firstend 56, a second end 58 and an extraneous surface 60 extending betweenthe first end 56 and the second end 58. The extraneous surface 60 has anupper edge 62 and a lower edge 64 and the extraneous surface 60 iscurved between the upper edge 62 and the lower edge 64. The upper edge62 is removably mated to the mating edge 48 of the foot 44. The retainer54 extends inwardly along the upper bounding surface 32 of the recessedportion 28 such that the lid 34 is retained on the container 14.

A tab 66 is coupled to the retainer 54. The tab 66 may be manipulatedsuch that the retainer 54 is removable from the lid 34 therebyfacilitating the lid 34 to be removed from the container 14. The tab 66extends downwardly from the lower edge 64 of the retainer 54 and the tab66 is positioned adjacent to the first end 56 of the retainer 54. Theupper edge 62 is separated from the mating edge 48 when the tab 66 ismanipulated.

In use, the tab 52 on the lid 34 is manipulated to urge the flap 50 intothe open position. Thus, the beverage 16 may be consumed from thecontainer 14 in the convention of drinking a beverage from a soda can.The tab 66 on the retainer 54 is manipulated and the retainer 54 isremoved from the lid 34. The lid 34 is removed from the container 14 andthe beverage 16 may be consumed from the container 14 in the conventionof drinking a beverage from a cup.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodimentenabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials,shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, aredeemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and allequivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings anddescribed in the specification are intended to be encompassed by anembodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of thedisclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used inits non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word areincluded, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. Areference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not excludethe possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless thecontext clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

1. A container assembly having a removable top, said assemblycomprising: a container being configured to contain a beverage; a lidbeing removably coupled to said container; and a retainer beingremovably coupled to said lid, said retainer engaging said containersuch that said lid is retained on said container, said retainer beingselectively removed from said lid such that said lid is removable fromsaid container, said retainer having a first end, a second end and anextraneous surface extending between said first end and said second end,said extraneous surface having an upper edge and a lower edge, saidextraneous surface being curved between said upper edge and said loweredge such that said upper edge is oriented perpendicularly with respectto said lower edge.
 2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: saidcontainer has a bottom wall and a peripheral wall extending upwardlyfrom said bottom wall, said peripheral wall having a distal edge withrespect to said bottom wall, said peripheral wall having an outersurface, said peripheral wall being curved such that said container hasa cylindrical shape, said distal edge defining an opening into saidcontainer; and said peripheral wall has a recessed portion, saidrecessed portion extending inwardly toward a center of said container,said recessed portion extending around an entire circumference of saidperipheral wall, said recessed portion being spaced from said distaledge, said recessed portion having an upper bounding surface.
 3. Theassembly according to claim 1, wherein said lid includes a body portionand a coupling portion, said body portion having an extraneous edge,said extraneous edge being continuous such that said body portion has adisk shape, said coupling portion comprising a leg and a foot.
 4. Theassembly according to claim 3, wherein: said container has a distal edgeand an outer surface; and said leg extending upwardly from said bodyportion, said leg being coextensive with said extraneous edge, said footbeing spaced from said leg to define a space between said leg and saidfoot, said distal edge of said container being positioned within saidspace having said foot abutting said outer surface of said container,said foot having a mating edge, said mating edge extendingperpendicularly from said container when said lid is coupled to saidcontainer.
 5. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein said bodyportion includes: a flap being movably coupled to said body portion; anda tab being movably coupled body portion, said tab being configured tobe manipulated such that said tab urges said flap into an open positionthereby facilitating the beverage to be consumed from said container. 6.(canceled)
 7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said containerhas a recessed portion, said recessed portion having an upper boundingsurface; said lid has a foot, said foot having a mating edge, saidmating edge extending perpendicularly from said container when said lidis coupled to said container; and said upper edge is removably mated tosaid mating edge of said foot, retainer extending inwardly along saidupper bounding surface of said recessed portion such that said lid isretained on said container.
 8. The assembly according to claim 1,wherein: said container has a mating edge, said mating edge extendingperpendicularly from said container when said lid is coupled to saidcontainer; and said retainer includes a tab being coupled to saidretainer, said tab being configured to be manipulated such that saidretainer is removable from said lid thereby facilitating said lid to beremoved from said container, said tab extending downwardly from saidlower edge of said retainer, said tab being positioned adjacent to saidfirst end of said retainer, said upper edge being separated from saidmating edge when said tab is manipulated.
 9. A container assembly havinga removable top, said assembly comprising: a container being configuredto contain a beverage, said container having a bottom wall and aperipheral wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall, saidperipheral wall having a distal edge with respect to said bottom wall,said peripheral wall having an outer surface, said peripheral wall beingcurved such that said container has a cylindrical shape, said distaledge defining an opening into said container, said peripheral wallhaving a recessed portion, said recessed portion extending inwardlytoward a center of said container, said recessed portion extendingaround an entire circumference of said peripheral wall, said recessedportion being spaced from said distal edge, said recessed portion havingan upper bounding surface; a lid being removably coupled to saidcontainer, said lid including a body portion and a coupling portion,said body portion having an extraneous edge, said extraneous edge beingcontinuous such that said body portion has a disk shape, said couplingportion comprising a leg and a foot, said leg extending upwardly fromsaid body portion, said leg being coextensive with said extraneous edge,said foot being spaced from said leg to define a space between said legand said foot, said distal edge of said container being positionedwithin said space having said foot abutting said outer surface of saidcontainer, said foot having a mating edge, said mating edge extendingperpendicularly from said container when said lid is coupled to saidcontainer, said body portion including: a flap being movably coupled tosaid body portion, and a tab being movably coupled body portion, saidtab being configured to be manipulated such that said tab urges saidflap into an open position thereby facilitating the beverage to beconsumed from said container; and a retainer being removably coupled tosaid lid, said retainer engaging said container such that said lid isretained on said container, said retainer being selectively removed fromsaid body such that said lid is removable from said container, saidretainer having a first end, a second end and an extraneous surfaceextending between said first end and said second end, said extraneoussurface having an upper edge and a lower edge, said extraneous surfacebeing curved between said upper edge and said lower edge such that saidupper edge is oriented perpendicularly with respect to said lower edge,said upper edge being removably mated to said mating edge of said foot,retainer extending inwardly along said upper bounding surface of saidrecessed portion such that said lid is retained on said container; and atab being coupled to said retainer, said tab being configured to bemanipulated such that said retainer is removable from said lid therebyfacilitating said lid to be removed from said container, said tabextending downwardly from said lower edge of said retainer, said tabbeing positioned adjacent to said first end of said retainer, said upperedge being separated from said mating edge when said tab is manipulated.